Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia)

Red buckeye is a small, deciduous tree or shrub in the maple family (Sapindaceae) that may grow 15 to 25 feet tall. It is quite ornamental in spring when tubular, red flowers appear in 6 to 8 inch upright clusters that last for about a month and attract hummingbirds and butterflies. The attractive palmate leaves turn red and usually fall by the end of September.

Red buckeye prefers partial shade in moist well-drained soil. It will tolerate full sun but may experience leaf scorch in the heat of summer, is pH adaptable, and will grow in a variety of soil types. Place this plant in a mixed area where its spring flowers will shine but because it tends to drop its leaves early, other plants will mask this.

Use this plant in woodland or naturalized areas, as a specimen, along ponds and streams, or in a wildlife garden.